Official opening: £500,000 makeover for West End pub featured in Trainspotting

It was famously the setting of a fight scene in the gritty 90’s film classic Trainspotting.

Now the former Crosslands pub on Queen Margaret Drive is playing another part after a £500,000 makeover that has transformed it into a venue with a difference.

The Kelbourne Saint, a bar and restaurant specialising in natural produce, is officially open for business from Thursday December 1 and will deliver something completely unique to Glasgow, according to its owners.

Movie: Former Crosslands pub featured in the cult movie Trainspotting.

Watch: Graham Suttle talks about the features of the re-developed bar-restaurant.

And that’s not just the fact it features the same balcony where Begbie famously threw a pint glass from in the Irvine Welsh film.

The Queen Margaret Drive location is the latest unit to be launched by Kained Holdings, the team behind some of Scotland’s most popular bars and restaurants, including Lebowski’s, The Finnieston and Porter & Rye.

The group has invested more than £500,000 in the project.

This new location will continue the team’s mission to “surprise and delight” with a customer-facing rotisserie featuring an array of wonders from herb-fed chicken to roast pineapple to suckling pig.

Transformation: Kained Holdings have spent £500,000 on the makeover.

Kained Holdings MD Graham Suttle said: “The Glasgow restaurant scene is extremely competitive, that’s why we always strive to be as creative as possible and deliver something different from the norm.

“Drinking and dining at the Kelbourne Saint will be a change in style from our other restaurants but with the same commitment to ethically-sourced, sustainable produce.

“Our aim is to bring people together and enjoy our new menu, family style.

“Our chickens have had time to grow slowly and roam free on Scottish farms, meaning they have the time to develop the finest flavour and texture.

Kained Holdings MD Graham Suttle:

“Months of consultation went into everything from the food and drink, right down to the décor and service.

“First and foremost, we look to create venues that we would want to visit.

“We think this is exactly what the surrounding community on Great Western Road is looking for and we’ve already been really well received.”

“Months of consultation went into everything from the food and drink, right down to the décor and service.

“First and foremost, we look to create venues that we would want to visit.

“We think this is exactly what the surrounding community on Great Western Road is looking for and we’ve already been really well received.

“The site is an old Burgh Hall, so we’ve stripped everything right back and are pleased to reveal a fresh take on an incredible location.”

Customers will be immediately struck by a sky mural on the ceiling, designed and created by Bob McNamara, AKA RogueOne, one of the men behind the famous mural at the Clutha pub.

The new venue will also feature WEST Brewery’s first and only tank beer system which will serve Kained Holdings own-brand beer Apache Pilsner.

The new system ensures a refreshing serve which brewery-fresh beer fed directly into the taps from the large tanks.

The menu also includes a selection of tasty sides which can be enjoyed individually or in family-sized portions including maple rotisserie parsnips, buttermilk mash potatoes and harissa spiced green beans.

Unique: The venue is the only bar to feature WEST Brewery’s special beer tank system.

The Kelbourne Saint is designed to be a place for the local community and families to enjoy and features a children’s play area where families can spend time together enjoying the food, whilst the children play.

The venue boasts an SLTN Award nominated outdoor area with a capacity of 80 that can be enjoyed all year round with heated outdoor huts perfect for all-weather use.

During the festive season, Kelbourne Saint will be selling Christmas trees to locals from the garden, whilst there are also plans for this area of the venue to become home to a small farmer’s market featuring local and seasonal Scottish produce and regular market stalls from local suppliers and businesses.

The arrival of the new venue sees the creation of 20 new jobs, bringing Kained Holdings’ roll above 170.

The Kelbourne Saint is Kained Holdings’ eighth venue across the central belt and 2017 will be the company’s tenth year in business.

The opening of two further venues in Finnieston is imminent, including a not-for-profit deli that will train and hire people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The group was recently named independent multiple operator of the year at the 2016 SLTN awards.